The Red Ferret Journal

Eco Friendly March 7, 2022

Boxy – the ultimate, cash free convenience store made from recycled containers

There’s no question that a lot of current carbon emissions come from private car transportation. Cut out the super short shopping trips for ‘some milk and a paper’, and we would dramatically cut the emissions from our suburban and country living. But it’s hard to shift our habits, unless we can make local shopping so convenient that it’s a no-brainer to use. Now a French company has started to fight back. Boxy convenience stores are made out of recycled shipping…

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Eco Friendly February 18, 2022

This $4 solar desalination system can provide clean drinking water for a family

The boffins at MIT have come up with a super low cost desalination plant which they say will deliver continuous clean water to a family. What makes it special is the fact that it doesn’t get clogged up by salt residues, which means it stays operative after long periods of use without cleaning. The trick? Using a non-wick system which instead uses 2.5 cm holes which don’t get clogged up with salt.

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cool tech February 7, 2022

Researchers build camera the size of a grain of sand

We’re a little confused. A recent report has announced a super small camera which is the size of a ‘coarse’ grain of salt, which sounds great. The camera, developed by Princeton and Washington Universities appears to be quite a miraculous feat of engineering. The key fact is that it’s not only small, but produces images of much higher quality than previous tiny cameras have before. So far so cool.

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Reviews January 15, 2022

AOC i1601P Portable USB-C Monitor Review

The AOC i1601P Portable monitor suprised me with it’s build quality, form factor and screen quality.

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Eco Friendly January 12, 2022

New ice phobic coating keeps snow off solar panels

Everyone knows that solar panels are awesome, right? But unfortunately they can be a little finnicky about their performance. For instance, the electrical output drops significantly if any part of a panel is in shade, say from a nearby tree or chimney. Another thing that really messes up solar power output is snow. No exposed panel, no power. Simple really. Now a team from Michigan University seem to have cracked the snowy panel problem with a new spray on material…

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general January 1, 2022

Happy New Year to all from us here at Ferret Towers

Well, that was definitely a year! mY kEYbOaRD BROKE, and all sort of weird stuff happened to my teeth. And I’m sure there were other things going on in the background involving viruses, vaccines and motley disasters. But now it’s time to look forward to an exciting new year, full of fun and frolics. Maybe. In the words of one wise wit, I think we’re all hoping that 2022 will be a year full of precedented events. You know, like…

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Eco Friendly December 31, 2021

Tech of the Year 2021? Our vote goes to solar power. Again

Regular readers will know that The Ferret is a big fan of solar power. No other technology has the potential to replace our energy needs so efficiently and conveniently as solar. Sure, wind and sea turbines offer superb output at scale, but unless you have a few million in spare change, it’s not likely that you’ll be able to enjoy your own wind or sea power anytime soon. It’s only solar, with it’s local, household level (or even vehicle level)…

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Electric Cars December 12, 2021

CyberLandr – the world’s first Cybertruck camper van

What’s the definition of vaporware? How about a brand new concept vehicle, based on an electric car that has never been sold on the market? A concept which has gained an instant valuation of $400 million? If that kind of stuff leaves you bemused and amused, then you’ll love the CyberLandr. The new electric camper van, based on the Tesla Cybertruck, will apparently retail at around $45,000 (which seems ridiculously cheap to us) when it finally arrives sometime whenever.

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